Letting his phone tip forward to the table, he lifts his eyes to mine. “I can tell I’m going to regret asking you this, but why were you at the station before him? You live half a mile from that location.”
Aaand he knows where I live. Great.
My upper teeth cover my bottom lip and I scrunch my nose—making the ridiculous and cute face I use to get out of trouble. It’s not working very well. His nostrils flare, and…ohwow. His square-jawed disapproval is sofa-king sexy.
‘Cause when you say sofa and king together…never mind.
“Please do not tell me the world’s tiniest billionaire uses the subway.”
“Okay, I won’t.” I mimed zipping my lips. “And also? I’m five-seven. That is not short. Hell, Bezos is the same height as me.”
When he’s wearing shoes, maybe. I bet that fucker wears lifts.
Wait. Should I wear lifts?
“Dr. Laghari.”
“Mr. Edgerton,” I respond, imitating his disappointed voice.
“Dr. Laghari, please tell me you did not use the New York City subway to come here today.”
I hold up my hands, hoping I look especially innocent. “I could, but that would make me a lying liar who lies, and we’re not about that life. Care to ask a different question?”
He curses under his breath. “Let me get this straight. You were trapped in a subway car with your stalker?”
I shake my head. “No, silly. He's never gotten on with me. I always see him out the corner of my eye as I'm leaving.”
“Like he wants you to know he's there.”
“Something like that, maybe?”
Edgerton shakes his head, gravely disappointed. “And he's never approached you?”
“Correct. Though…today was different. He’d never been that close to me before.”
“Is it a common occurrence to see him?”
I shrug. “That's the thing. I might see him two days in a row and then not again for a couple of weeks.”
“Is there any pattern to where you see him?” he asks, becoming increasingly agitated. I so badly want to poke him, but I doubt he’d welcome my impish charms at this particular moment.
Also, I’m not lying about the fact that Edgerton intimidates me.
In a distinctly erotic way, but still.
I shake my head, then stop, remembering the last few months. “Well, hold on.” I tap my chin. “Aside from the subway platform, he's showed up at my favorite bespoke T-shirt shop, but only ever outside.”
“Any other places I should know about?”
Er…
“He’s maybe figured out some of my usual hang-out spots?”
Edgerton rises, his agitation apparently making it impossible to stay seated. He paces the small breakfast nook, cracking his neck as he fists his hands. “Where are these other places you’ve seen him?”
“Definitely saw him once in front of Katz's. And in front of my yoga studio, the store where I get my smoothies, and my…” I hesitate, afraid of what he'll do. “Also, sometimes in front of my favorite coffee shop.”
He pulls out his phone, then resumes pacing. “What’s the name of your coffee shop?”